Friday, May 02, 2014

Alabama Makes Clear Parent Rights for Opting Out of State Tests

. . . .“There’s been a lot of
concern about the amount of standardized testing that the school system does,”
Cox said. “It’s not just a Baldwin County issue; it’s all over the country.
Every time the children turn around, they’re being tested for something, and
more and more parents have become concerned about it.”

Cox stressed that it is permissible
for parents to opt out of the tests: “There is no Alabama law or federal law
that states they cannot opt their children out, which means that it is
perfectly legal to do so,” he said. “There seems to be some confusion over
that.”

Parents decry standardized tests
for several reasons, he said, including concerns about data collection and
undue stress on the students.

Some parents fear that the test
results will lead to their children being labeled as high or low achievers, Cox
said. “They don’t want that standardized test being used as a means to place
their children next year in a certain class.” . . .